The Love of the Silent Fool
by DefogYap The Writer
Summary: Summary: Ever since he had discovered all the different sides of Naoto, Yu Narukami had fallen helplessly in love for the 'Detective Prince'. But how can he express his affection to her when he could not even say out any words from his mouth? Mute!Yu Narukami X Naoto…
1. Chapter 1: Yu's answer

A/N: Hi all! This time I bring you guys something original and unique today. Since the Japanese version of Fire emblem awakening has a mute option for your custom avatar, why not apply that concept on Yu Narukami?

I have seen Female Yu, OOC Yu, Jerk Yu and many more… all except this.

I mean… someone has to start it someday right? Hope more of these unique alternate versions of our silver-haired swag protagonist being produced on this site.

* * *

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Summary: Ever since he had discovered all the different sides of Naoto, Yu Narukami had fallen helplessly in love for the 'Detective Prince'. But how can he express his affection to her when he could not even say out any words from his mouth? Mute!Yu Narukami X Naoto…

…

~The Love of the Silent Fool~

Chapter 1: Yu's answer

A young man stood in the middle of the shrine, staring up towards the darkening skies. He stared at the empty space that was once occupied by a certain blue-haired girl.

His legs were weak. His footsteps were shaky and unstable. His heart lost its lively rhythm. His mind was an empty world.

His voice… or rather the lack of it… became much more silent, a feat that he could not even believe that it could.

The man leaned his back against the pillar that supported the entrance of the shrine. His body then slowly slid down into a sitting position.

Then the inevitable happened…

Tears, Tears of sorrow soon streamed down his cheeks. Once it began, he could no longer hold **_it_** back.

Oh, how he wished he could hold it back...

…

…

"Ding~! Ding~!"

The school of Yasogami High could be heard ringing loudly in the skies of the late afternoon in Inaba. It signalled the end of the last lesson of the school period, and students from different classes streamed out of the building as they walked their way home.

They were tired and exhausted for it was full of the usual lengthy lectures by the teachers. The students of Yasogami High could not wait to get back home to rest. However, among the long line of pupils walking out of the school compounds, there was a young silver-haired man leaning against the wall of the corridors leading towards the exit.

That young and bright looking man is Yu Narukami, a student transferred from the city in April.

Unlike others who were dying to get into the comfort of their home as soon as possible, he was waiting silently for something… or rather someone.

His silver orbs darted around the faces of the students pouring out of the classrooms, seeking for that one person he desired to meet. It was then Yu heard footsteps opposite from the direction he was looking at.

"…I hope you didn't wait for too long, Senpai." A voice called out from behind him. It seems the person Yu was looking for found him instead.

The silver haired man turned around to find Naoto standing closely behind him. His eyes widened in surprise for a moment before a small smile of amusement appeared on his lips. Yu swiftly took out his mobile phone and typed out words on the device. After a while, the transfer student pressed a single button and a beeping sound could be heard from Naoto's phone.

Naoto gave the upperclassmen a look of confusion. The detective flipped open her own phone and read the message send by Yu.

It reads:

 **You sure you think you are not secretly an undercover agent? You snuck up behind me numerous times lately… like a little stealthy ninja.**

The words seemed to try to lighten the mood between them. However, there was a glaring word in the message that Yu had sent… 'Little'.

The underclassmen had a deadpanned expression on her face, sending the impression that she was not pleased with it. Naoto sighed as she began to jest, "For the last time, Senpai… If I was a secret agent, I won't be here right now. You could even say I would be on missions much more complex than this."

"And please don't use such insulting words like 'little'..."

Yu gave a silent chuckle as he watched the change of expression on her face. He then titled his head slight towards the exit of the school building and pointed the direction behind him with his thumb.

Naoto returned his gleeful expression with a small, thin smile of her own. Though she would not admit it, she does find his antics funny at times.

"Yes, Yes… Let's move on. We got a case to solve." The sleuth spoke in mock annoyance as she led the way. Yu followed the detective closely behind, with his heart beating in excitement. They both walked slowly out of the school and towards their destination.

The duo reached the streets of Inaba, close to their intended destination in mind. They came here based on the information they gathered about the 'Phantom Thief'. Although they were a few steps off to the shrine, Naoto stopped walking when she reached a point beside a nearby telephone pole.

"I have always wondered, Senpai…" Naoto began.

Yu gave a questioning look towards the detective. He did not interrupt her train of thought, for he waited patiently for her to continue.

"I have always wondered the reason why you are still here with me… You could have easily backed out of it." Her voice grew softer as her words began to trail off. "I mean, you should have a time where you thought in the lines of 'you are simply wasting your time on me', right?"

The silver haired man let the question sink into him. He tilted his head and placed a finger under his chin, thinking hard on a suitable answer. However, in his heart, he knew that there was no need to waste time thinking on it.

 _(You are important to me…)_

Those words… those are the words he wished he could have said right there and then.

Nevertheless, Yu dropped his posture and gave Naoto a playful smile. He walked towards her, leaned in towards dangerously close to her face and…

…Used his finger to poke her small nose.

In an instant, a bright red blush soon covered her cheeks and backed _farrrr_ away from the mischievous upperclassmen. Naoto pulled her large blue cap down to cover her bright red face, feeling a mixture of shock and embarrassment.

"W-What… W-What are you doing?!" The 'detective' stuttered horribly as she sent a hateful glare at the joker.

Yu simply gave a grin of victory and amusement as the silver haired student watched his underclassmen over-exaggerated reaction. Naoto soon realised the message he was trying to send.

('You are fun to play with.')

A look of annoyance formed on her face as she was very displeased with her upperclassmen. The back of her mind wanted to retort Yu for his childishness. Strangely for the rest of her, they did not seem to mind his antics.

In fact, she found herself enjoying the attention, despite being on the receiving end of the joke.

 _Why…?_ She asked herself. _Why do I feel this way…?_

"A-Anyways, now the question has been answered," In order to calm herself down, Naoto had to take in a deep breath. "Let us continue moving on with the case."

Yu put on a serious and stern façade, while he waited for the details of the said case.

After regaining her composure, the detective looked towards the only shrine in Inaba and explained, "I talked to the owner of the Shiroku Store and she said the man, who we are chasing after, a few hours ago."

From the pockets of her uniform, Naoto took out a familiar dull looking card that started this case. "She confirmed that it was the same man who bought the card…"

Her partner gave a curious glance towards the detective, was it truly that of a conscience?

Nevertheless, the proclaimed 'Detective Prince' continued, "If that is true, then he should be looking for the next hiding place for one of the stolen items."

She then turned to face Yu and discussed about her hypothesis, "If my deductions are correct, there are two things remaining that the 'Phantom Thief' have stolen. And if so, I'm quite certain that he's going to hide that one. Perhaps he is…"

"…"

Suddenly, Naoto paused mid-sentence. It was as if she wanted to put the blame on someone, but she was not sure if he or she was the culprit. A looks of concern was sent towards the sleuth by the sliver haired man.

He was about to 'speak up' and 'question' about the pause… until Naoto continued on talking out of nowhere.

"Anyways…" She dismissed her train of thought. "I think he deduced that he would be going to hide that item in that shrine… as it seems isolated and he could go without anyone noticing."

Just when Naoto finished her sentence, a beeping sound from her phone could be heard. She placed back the card back into her uniform before fishing out her mobile phone from her pocket. As she flipped open the device, the sleuth saw that it was yet another message from Yu.

The detective turned towards her partner behind her and gave a questioning look, with her eyebrow slightly lifted up. Yu just gave her a sad smile, and pointed towards her phone.

Her grey orbs glanced down to the screen of the device.

It reads:

 **This case is going to end soon. I feel… kind of sad.**

Naoto was surprised at first, but soon… a wry smile appeared on her lips.

"You… too?" She slowly looked up from the screen to meet the sliver eyes.

"The detective I dreamed of becoming as a child… I feel that is what I am now. It is sad. It is saddening to see it end so soon." She spoke in a distant tone.

Seeing that she was feeling down, the mute silver young man walked over to her side and gave a pat on her shoulder to get her attention. Just as Naoto looked to him with a curious and quizzed glance, Yu tugged her soft cheeks with his fingers, forcing her to make a smile.

As soon as he forced the detective to make a ridiculous looking face, the trickster immediately let go and gave her a cheeky grin.

Naoto was speechless during the entire ordeal. While the light stinging sensation on her cheeks reminded her that the mischievous upperclassmen did in fact pulled her cheeks in a childish manner, she was at lost on what to do next.

Seeing the immediate shift of emotion, Yu laughed silently at her stupefied expression.

"Wha-? What are you…?" Naoto was about to start a scolding fest, however, it was then she realised the intention of the leader of the IT team. Her mind tried to process the information. It seemed strange and stupid at first… but the longer she thought about it, the more it made sense.

"Hahaha…" A soft laugh escaped from her lips as she seen through the purpose of the small moment of playful teasing. "You were just telling me that I should be happy, right?" She asked to confirm her deduction.

The silent upperclassmen gave a small smile of approval and nodded. He gave a small 'thumbs up' at her and mouthed the words "Good job, Partner."

Her mood was lifted up from the soberness of before and Naoto returned Yu with a genuine smile of her own. "You too, Partner. Let's end this, shall we?"

The silver haired man bowed slightly with an amused smile on his face and pointed both his arms to the direction to the shrine, as if to ask the detective in front to take the lead… which she gladly accepted it.

…

…

~Tatusuhime Shrine. Time: after school. Date: 11/22/2014~

It was just the few first steps into the shrine of Inaba, not enough to see the fortune telling box clearly… but it was enough to catch sight of a mysterious man wearing a black suit and a pair of sunglasses.

The 'Phantom Thief' was right there within their reach.

Upon laying her grey orbs on the target, Naoto rushed towards him for closer and clear look on him. Yu tried catching up with her pace as best as he could, while giving quick glances at their likely culprit.

The sleuth finally reached to the mini entrance to the fortune telling box. She stared at the back of the mysterious man with her eyes widened in shock. To her, she knew exactly who he is.

"You're…!" She exclaimed loudly but was out of words to express her astonishment.

The black suited man turned around in surprise, finding himself caught red-handed by Naoto and Yu. His eyes that were hidden underneath the sunglasses darted around his surroundings, as if trying to look for an escape path.

Unfortunately, seeing that he had no options to escape, the culprit used the hidden item in his hand that was reserved for the last resort.

-The man brandished a knife!

Yu's mind went high on alert as his eyes caught sight of the dangerous looking object in the man's hands. The mute silver student rushed to Naoto's side and stood in front of her protectively, while his silver eyes sent a harsh glare towards the mysterious man. He grabbed the sleuth's hand pulled it forcefully, forcing her to stand behind his back.

"…Narukami-san?" Naoto squeaked as she was shielded by the protective mute man. After being stunned speechless for a moment, she tried to resist the forceful grip on her wrist. The detective attempted to squirm and pull away from his grasp, hoping for a response. However, the stubborn man refused to turn around and continue to shield her from the danger.

…At least he thought he was.

"Senpai, there's no need for alarm!" She shouted in desperation. "The knife is just a toy!"

-Err… what?

Yu turned around only to stare at her incredulously, stupefied at the truth given to him. The man took this distraction as a chance to escape. He dropped the knife and ran past the duo. They did not even try to stop him, for they were left dumbfounded.

After the 'Phantom Thief' had left without a trace, Yu and Naoto just silently stood there. Both of their minds were overwhelmed… for completely different reasons apparently.

The mute silver-haired teenager scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, embarrassed that his attempt to be 'heroic' failed miserably. The sleuth, on the other hand, was enraged for his foolishness.

The toy knife was left forgotten on the ground as there was a much serious matter at hand.

"Why…?" Her voice was almost unheard by the silent Yu. But it was enough to cause him to look directly into her expressive greyish eyes. They showed only one emotion that seemed to hurt the person at the receiving end – Anger.

It was then something snapped deep within the usually calm and collective young woman. She threw her large blue cap off her head and swung her arms violently in fury.

"It was just a toy! If you would just listen to me for a moment before reacting, we could do this without losing our focus!" Naoto exclaimed furiously as she had completely lost her composure.

Yu winced at the loudness of her voice. His face formed a hurt and sorrowful expression as he was being scolded by his underclassmen.

Naoto stared at her upperclassmen with her eyes blazing with rage, "Even so, what you did… what if the knife was real?! You could have been seriously injured… or worse, DIE!"

Yu could only stare at her. He was at lost on how to respond to her words. It was painful, but it was the truth.

Her small fragile frame shook uncontrollably and her breathing was heavy and uneven. Because of the silent man in front of her, she had completely lost control of her temper.

The worried teen tried to reach out to her, thinking of comforting her and reassuring her that at least everything turned out fine in the end. Unfortunately, he was soon interrupted by the furious detective as she continued to shout.

"I would be clueless of what to do if you ended up in grave danger because of me. Have you even sparing a single thought for me?! I…I can't imagine becoming a woman only to be protected by man. It is shameful!"

Suddenly, the anger in her eyes slowly died off, replaced by the dreadful feeling of sorrow. Her shaking slowly became a quite tremble. Her eyes were glistened with tears, threatening to fall off from her face. Naoto was breaking down, showing her weaker side in front of the young man she had always looked up to.

"And yet… you always…" She refused to let the tears fall off. She refused to show any loss of control of her actions and emotions any further. She refused to allow let the subject matter overwhelm her.

However, she wanted… or rather needed to know something important.

"Why?" It was a simple question, yet the same time it was difficult and complex.

The mute young man stared silently at Naoto, observing her facial features. She looked scared. She was scared. And she looked smaller than ever before, not like the strong, level-headed detective he was used to seeing.

Silent hangs in the air. None of them wanted to move a single inch. They could stand there and waste an entire day without realising it.

However, someone had to take plunge.

Yu could no longer hold in the hidden feelings that he had buried deep within in. He had always silenced it, ripped it apart and discarded like it was nothing. However, it always came back, stronger than ever before. It was an emotion alien to him, something he never got to have… until now.

Yu had always seen the different side of Naoto. Good and bad, strong and weak. He had seen it all. In a way, she reminded of himself. Perfect on the outside but flawed on the inside – the mask that he used to hide himself from the world around him.

Fortunately for him, he had learned to accept himself. And now… he wanted to accept Naoto for who she is.

The silent protagonist pondered on whether to use his phone to convey the message to her. That thought was soon thrown aside as he decided… he wanted to say those words, regardless of his inability to do so. He wanted to taste the sweetness of the words, the forgotten feeling of saying each syllable and the tone used to express it.

He wanted to say it… those three simple words.

Yu clenched his fist tightly. He recited the answer in his mind several times.

He typed a message on his phone and sent it to Naoto. The familiar beeping sound could be heard echoing around them. The detective was not sure what to expect as she slowly took out the phone and flipped it open.

It reads:

 **Look up and read my lips.**

Naoto followed the instruction and looked up from the screen of her device.

It was at that exact moment… she saw the answer that she was not expecting in a million years.

Yu mouthed out the words using his lips, with a solemn expression in his eyes.

 ** _-Because I love you…_**

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A/N: I am sorry to leave this in a cliff hanger… But it will drag on too long for any reader to paid attention. Plus, it adds excitement on what happens next, no? The next chapter will be on soon and hopefully a little bit of sweeter and shorter than this.

Stay tuned!


	2. Chapter 2: Hypothesis

A/N: And… I am doing a little reordering here and there... sooooo...

Enjoy?

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Summary: Ever since he had discovered all the different sides of Naoto, Yu Narukami had fallen helplessly in love for the 'Detective Prince'. But how can he express his affection to her when he could not even say out any words from his mouth? Mute!Yu Narukami X Naoto…

…

~Chapter 2: The Hypothesis~

My name is Yu Narukami.

I am just a random transfer student who found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

…Or is it the opposite?

This is me.

This is my voice.

This is the voice that no one could hear.

All but you…

Only you can hear me.

…

…

'Love' is such a simple word. It is made of the four letters L, O, V, E. It is pronounce as /lʌv/. It means a strong feeling of affection. Ironically, it is listed down as one of the most complex and complicated words in existence.

You pair it up with 'I' and 'you' and it becomes much more complex. It is the prime example of it being a coin with two opposite sides.

'I love you'

This phrase may have brought joy to countless many, but this is the one that bring me great pain and suffering.

For first time of my life, I have learnt what was truly like to feel the joy of love in one moment…

…And the grief of a broken heart in another.

…Such a terrifying word it is.

…

…

It had been days since that incident that caused much befuddlement and sorrow into the mind of Yu. The voiceless teen was trying his best to understand why Naoto reacted that way. He was also trying to patch up the void between them.

However, it seemed that the gap in their relationship with each other was getting wider and wider. It was becoming so wide that no bridge could ever be built to link between the two ends together.

…Or at least, that was what he thinks it was becoming.

It did not matter how he approached her, from invites to have a meal together, a simple walk around the perimeter of Inaba, to trying to talk to the female detective through messaging with his phone, Yu would always get shot down.

With each attempt to even 'speak' a word to her failing, the more his heart seemed to ache. It was frustrating, painful and fruitless. The back of Yu's mind mocked him, taunted him, and told him to just give up.

…But he could not. He just could not stop trying.

…And so the cycle of heartache continues on and on.

…

…

~14/11/2014, Dojima Residence~

Yu sunk deep into the couch in his temporary room. He hung his head low in sadness, letting out a silent heavy sigh of exhaustion. Staring into the screen of his phone in his hand, he wondered… if what he was doing was worth sacrificing his time for.

The words on his phone read:

' **0' new messages**

It was his tenth time trying to even look at Naoto in the eye. The sleuth just ran at sight of his face. She just ran and never looked back. Yu could not understand what was wrong with the relationship between the both of them.

' _Is it my fault for popping the question too early?'_

' _Is it just she can't accept it?'_

'… _Or is it because I am not like the rest of them - the 'normal' men that she could have dated?'_

These questions plagued his mind for what seemed like forever. The answer was lost in the darkness, never to see the light once again. However, Yu never stopped trying to look for it. The unspeaking teen swore he would get his hands dirty to even see a spick of its existence.

Although Yu had endless persistency to find the truth, he did not know where to start. He was lost. His mind and soul were telling him to seek wisdom, any form of advice to push him towards the right direction.

But… his body strongly oppose to even the slightest suggestion of it. What was holding him back?

Was it the hopelessness of ever finding a solution to this conflict of emotions?

Was it fear of breaking the mask of a strong and wise leader by showing his weak and vulnerable side?

…Or was it the unwillingness to involve someone into the mix to cause more trouble.

Which was it Yu would never know. All he knew was he could hide from anyone close to him any longer. The people around are starting to notice the slip of his mask that he wore with pride.

He could not hide this mess of emotions any longer… especially to the likes of Nanako and Dojima. Yu just wished he could lock himself away for just a little bit longer, away from the harsh reality around him.

The only salvation he had left… was the velvet room.

…

…

It was near midnight. Yu wanted to slip out of the house without anyone knowing. He needed a clue to how to move on. He needed someone to rely on other than his friends and family.

There was only the sound of silence in his room. The silver haired man was restless as the many personas of himself argued over which is right or wrong in the judgement room in his mind.

Just then, the sound of the clock striking the time of midnight was heard loud and clear. Yu had decided… it was now or never.

Regardless of how ridiculous his plan was, Yu grabbed his spare keys and slipped out of the comfort of the safe haven, venturing into the pitch black darkness. As he walked on the empty, noiseless streets on inaba, the mute teen saw the door of the velvet room shining brightly in the darkness that surround it.

It looked ominous yet inviting to the young man who was walking towards it.

The velvet key in his pocket let out a bright blue light as Yu approached the door knob of the entrance. He took in a deep breath before stepping into the unknown beyond the door of mystery.

…

"Welcome to the velvet room…"

…

Yu blinked his eyes repeatedly, adjusting to the sudden contrast of brightness compare to the outside world.

"I was expecting your inevitable visit, dear guest." A voice called out from in front of him.

The silver haired teen found the resident of the velvet room, Igor sitting comfortably in his couch with his chin resting on the back of his fingers. As usual, the strange elderly man had an unusually wide grin on his face and gave his guest a look of hopeful and anticipation.

Strangely, there was no sign of Margaret and Marie anywhere in the claustrophobic space in the mysterious car that moves endlessly in one direction.

…And did he say he was expecting his visit?

Yu gave stared at Igor with a look of confusion and pointed out the missing people who were usually beside him. Where exactly did they disappear to?

The unsettling elderly man took note of his growing concern and uncertainty in his facial features. He let out a soft and gentle chuckle before giving his guest a reassuring smile.

"Do not worry, they are safe and sound. I had just excused them to give us some time alone to have a… private conversation."

"Is this what not you came for, oh chosen one?"

Surprise and perhaps hesitancy could be seen in the face of Yu. He certainly did not like the feeling of people reading his mind. Nevertheless, he decided to ignore for once. The wielder of the wild card needed an answer to the question that haunted him for days.

Just as he was about to 'ask' his question, Igor smiled with sympathy and understanding as he said, "No… your bond with the Fortune arcana is not broken."

That made Yu stopped his trained of thought. A river of questions came crashing into the barrier of sane mind, repeating demanding for answers.

His mouth was agape as he could not believe the fact that was given to him, yet in the back of his mind a piece of the ever growing load was lifted off him. It had given him some sort of relief.

' _But… how?'_ A question popped in his head. It was clear that some look of doubt and cluelessness in the facial features of the mute teen.

"Yes, you heard me. The bond is not broken… yet. In fact, it has the potential to grow and prosper. However, that solely depends on your decisions in the coming days of your trial." Igor clarified with his soothing voice.

The answer, along with the tone in his voice, seemed to suggest that the resident of velvet room could not help Yu with his love life. Silence filled the atmosphere of the room. The path that the young man was walking on led him to a dead end.

 **Huh… you would expect such a wise and almighty fortune teller like Igor should at least give a hint of how to move on. I mean… come on! …Just one? Please?**

A heavy of sigh of hopelessness was heard from Yu. This was the first time he was in love with a girl, especially someone as unique as Naoto. Regardless of hearing the surprisingly pleasant news of the relationship between him and the female detective, the wandering lost soul of the mute teen had no idea to resolve this complicating mess of a conflict.

… _Maybe I should keep on trying…_

… _Maybe I could find another way to reach out to her…_

… _Maybe we could start over and just be friends…_

… _Maybe I should just… give up and be done with it…_

The options were presented in front of him. None of them looked like it was a viable choice. His breaking, lovesick heart ached as he thought of picking the last option. It seemed like the easiest way out of it.

As the Fool pondered fruitlessly on which path he should take, Igor made one of the most unrelated questions at the most random of times.

"Have I ever told you the definition of Insanity?"

… _What?_

Had the screws of Igor's brilliant mind finally got loose?

Yu turned his head towards the smiling man in an instant. His eyes widened in shock and panic. He began to think that theory of the owner of the velvet room was indeed insane was true.

Seeing the reaction of the speechless teen, an amused smile formed on Igor's lips. However, that did not stop him from continuing on with his speech.

"Insanity. Is. Doing the exact same thing… over and over and over again, expecting things to change."

"*Chuckle* …And I concur, that is crazy."

"However, when someone told me that for the first time… I did not know that he was talking about. I thought he was the one who was not making any logical sense. …Thus, I ignored him."

"But…*Chuckle* I soon found out that… he was indeed right about that."

"He was right. I was always signing the same contact for the same purpose, the same number of lines I had spoken him, the same problems I had to solve for my clients, and the same lessons I had to teach for countless others as they progressed on in his trials."

"*Look up to Yu with a sad smile on his face* …And then I started to cross paths with such unique and outstanding clients like you. Everywhere I looked, all these wielders of the Fool, doing the exact same thing over and over again… without fail and without a single mistake."

"They make the same decision every single time, over and over and over again…Thinking that this time, it will change. This time it'll be different."

"*The smile soon faded, a small frown formed on his face* I apologise if I offended you, but I do not like the way you are looking at me right now. You looked like a man without an end goal in life, a lost soul in this vast, empty space."

"Do you have a problem? Is an obstacle blocking your path? Do you think I am lying when I tell you that you are not the only one in the middle of a conflict? No, I am not!"

For the first time since Yu met Igor, he did not know he was capable of losing his temper and unleash the burning rage inside of him. A look of terror contorted on his face. Strangely, after the short outburst, Igor soon regained his composure and raised his hand to reassure that he was fine.

"I am fine. I need to calm down for a moment." Yu did not dare to move from his position as his silver orbs locked into the face of the wise old man in bewilderment.

After a few minutes of dreadful silence had passed, Igor continued his speech.

"The thing is, my dear guest, I have been doing this for countless years. With each individual who I thought she will be different, ended up disappointingly the same. …And yet I kept on going, thinking the next one… will be different."

Igor looked up and locked his beady blue eyes into Yu's silver ones. Wisdom and hope could be seen shining through them.

Suddenly, their surrounding began to fade away. The details of the room began to become blurrier and blurrier. Darkness was soon closing in around the two figures in the velvet room.

"Yu Narukami, the one holding the Fool… Are you insane, just like me?"

The voice was distant and almost inaudible. The silver haired teen was quickly losing consciousness. He was being forced out of the room. His stay was long overdue.

"Did I ever tell you the definition of Insanity is?"

…

 _I guess I already have been insane…_

 _I have fallen hopelessly in love… with Naoto._

 _Even though she may rejected me, hated me, I still never gave up._

… _Hoping this time, it'll change._

 _Who is not insane at this point?_

…

Days passed by since that encounter with the mysterious old man. His words had sunk deep into the mind of Yu. He understood his situation in his life… either he continued and hoped it will change or give it up. However, without a compass, the lovesick teen was still lost. His heart still aches and his mind left completely blank.

The people around him were noticing his sudden change of behaviour. Yosuke and Teddie were beginning to see their leader having signs of depression. Kanji and Rise commented Yu looked like as if there was a mini-stormy cloud of sadness over his head.

Even Nanako was taking note of his downcast eyes and oddly distant behaviour.

Someone needed to help him. Someone needed to wake him up. It seemed that there was only one man for the job.

"Why don't you sit here and have a small chat with me?" His uncle, Dojima beckoned as he called out to his nephew. The silent young man looked up from the ground and stared directly into his uncle's eyes. At first, Yu was reluctant to move a single step from where he was. However, after seeing the sincerity in the eyes of the elder detective, Yu decided to walk over to the dining table and take his seat. It would be rude to reject such an offer like that.

Dojima set down his newspaper and headed over the kettle on the stove, which was finishing boiling the water in it. Steam gushed out of the opening and let out a small whistle. The detective turned off the stove and looked at the teenager who was staring at him curiously.

An amused smirked formed on his face as he asked, "What kind of coffee would you want?"

Yu instantly knew what was going on and returned a smile of his own. He mouthed the words 'Surprise me' as his eyes sparkled with glee. Dojima let out a hearty laugh, which Yu soon joined in.

Once the cup of instant coffees were made and placed onto the table, the duo sipped their respective brew in silence. Time passed by as the noisy ticking of the clock echoed in the quiet living room. Yu took a quick glance at his uncle, which was not unseen by the experienced detective.

The mute teen was starting to become nervous, questioning his mind about the purpose of this 'small chat'. He knew that Dojima was just trying delay until he speaks up. Yu thought he might as well take the plunge.

Surprisingly, Dojima had the same thought as he too wanted to speak up first, thinking that he had to stop making this like an interrogation.

In some amusement of events, both parties set their cup of coffee down onto the table and open their mouth to speak… at the same time. Well, in Yu's case, he wrote out what he wanted to say on a small piece of paper and showed to the old man on the opposite side.

"So… what have you been doing these days?"

' **I am in love with a girl.'**

Both of them paused after the end of their sentence. Their mind was taking in the words that were exchange and the convenient timing of their execution. Yu's face turned from normal to pale white in horror then flushed in embarrassment.

Dojima, on the other hand, raised his eyebrow questioningly at his nephew's response.

"I guess that answers my question?" He remarked uncertainly as he saw Yu banging his head onto the wooden table repeatedly, scolding himself for his stupidity.

After shaking Yu out of his flustered state and convincing him not to hurt himself, the duo went back to square one… with one of them with a bruised forehead.

The grieving silver haired teen decided to let out his suppressed emotions to the closest person to him – his uncle.

He explained the events of the mysterious 'Phantom Thief' who was stealing his friend's personal belongings.

He explained how and what made him decided to help her along to solve this case.

He explained the growing feeling of affection for that particular female, how he saw the different side of her, how he wanted to see more of her, how he wanted to know more about her.

He explained the unfortunate incident between him and her, from the confession of his love for her to the possible fact that he may be rejected and that his relationship with this girl could not be mended.

Dojima listened to his nephew with undying attention and an open heart. He understood the dire situation that Yu was in. He knew why the heart-broken teen was so distraught.

It was because it reminded him of how he was in the same exact scenario many years ago.

"Yu… You are not the only one who has faced this kind of problem. I can bet that all married men, including me, have encountered this obstacle with their wife in the past."

Yu tilted his head and stared at the elder detective curiously, who was giving him a wry smile. He watched as Dojima straightened his back and took in a couple of deep breaths. The look in his eyes seemed to suggest that, his uncle was going to tell this story only once.

"Before Chisato and I were married, before we engaged in an intimate relationship, we were actually sworn enemies… in high school."

"We were always competing with each other in each and every category, from academics, sports, cooking to solving mysteries we come up on our own. We refused to back down and let the opposition win, of course. We never gave up, we never stopped trying. However, the results were mixed. She would always win in sports and cooking, but I always win in solving mysteries and grades."

"Haha… We were confused. We just could not decide on a clear winner. The harder Chisato and I tried, the more difficult it was deciding the supposed 'Best student'. You see, she and I were idiots."

"All it took was just one day, one particular moment, three simple lines."

"First, I said the competition was stupid. She agreed. Second, I said we are stupid. She agreed. Third, I said… why we don't we just work together? She agreed."

Dojima paused as he took a moment to sip his coffee. His eyes were closed as memories of the past flowed in his mind.

"At first, Chisato and I studied together in our school's library. Funny enough, instead of studying as we planned, she and I found out that there were more similarities between us than our differences. Our favourite books are the same, our favourite foods were almost the same, and our favourite pastime was the same.

The difference was not the 'what' but the 'how'. Chisato loves radishes… but prefers them to be boiled in a soup before eating it. I, on the other hand, prefer to eat them raw if I could. She loves solving mysteries… but would rather not be involved with the work life of a detective. I, however, disagree… I like being a detective."

"The more we spent time together, the more our relationship grew. I saw all the sides of her, the good and the bad, the strengths and the weaknesses… and who she really is."

"Our lives are miles apart from one another. She was from the city. I was from a quiet countryside that almost no one knows about. Yet… I never gave up trying to be with her. Before I knew it, I was in love with her."

His gleeful smile returned as he dreamily stared into the brown liquid in his mug.

"I still remembered the day I confessed to her. Chisato thought I was joking. It was only when I embraced her then the foolish women realised I was serious. She reacted strongly, of course, spilling out nonsense of us not able to be together… and that we lived miles apart from each other… and that she believed that she did not deserve me. But I ignored it. I ignored everything and said, '…So what? This fool right here is telling you… I will never give up.'"

"…'You are insane,' she yelled at me. I told her I knew that. 'You are stupid.' She yelled at me again. I told her I knew that. 'You are not the best.' She yelled at me once again. I told her that she is not too, but I accepted. 'You are hopeless.' She told me. I told her that I will stop trying."

As the story was coming to a close, Yu saw how similar the experience was between him and Dojima. The young teen looked up and was surprised to see some tears stinging his eyes.

"…And I never stopped trying even after she died. It was a promise that I could never break. You see, Yu… I fell in love with Chisato the same way that you did."

Dojima wiped his tears and cleared his throat. He let a soft chuckle escaped from his lips.

"What I am telling you right now, Yu… Is that you may never know the result once you give up. Yes, I agree that it is insane to keep doing the same thing over and over and over again… expecting things to change. But at least it IS something. There is no 'Dead End' in the concept of love. There will be only endless winding trial for you to work on. If you fail one, try it again. If you still fail, find another trial."

The elder detective stood up and crossed over the boundary between him and his nephew. He firmly placed his hands on Yu's shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze.

"What is important… never give up. It is like solving a mysterious murder case with little to no clues… because one day, it will be solved and closed."

"…And with that, I bid you good night."

Unknowingly, the time was almost past midnight. Yu stared at the space that his uncle once stood. His lecture certainly had taught him something important.

The mute teen knew what he must do.

…

…

…Or at least he thought he did.

Yu threw his school bag aside and settled down onto the couch. He hung his low while letting a sigh of defeat. It was the untempt time that Naoto had ran away the mere sight of him. He wondered how much further his heart had to endure the pain of seeing the fleeting sleuth every single day.

It was then the lifeless eyes of the voiceless teen wandered around the living room… and found a mysterious object on the table in front of him. Yu raised his eyebrow in confusion, puzzled of the sudden appearance of this odd looking thing.

It was small black box was a simple red ribbon wrapped around it. There was a small card with an address beside the box, probably from the unknown sender who gave it to him.

Yu picked up the card and inspected it, not really expecting anything at this point. He thought it was just a gift from Nanako or something. However, his eyes widened in deep surprise as he saw what were written on the card.

It reads:

… _From your father, Raidou Narukami._

How did it get here? Why his father was sending this to him? Why now?

Yu looked around his surroundings and found no one was in the house with him. Nanako had gone out to play with her friends. Dojima was coming home late again. He was alone.

Yu hesitantly place the card back onto the table and slowly opened the tiny black box. He felt a sense of dread within him… as if the box contained a piece of bad news.

Soon after he took out the lid of the small mysterious container, Yu found… a shiny DVD inside. It had words on it that were assumedly by using a black marker. It says that this DVD was meant for Yu.

Many questions were raised as the mute teen stared at it wearily. He was not entirely sure what to do with it, or he wanted to do anything with it at all.

He was not close to the Narukami Household as he grew up with his family. His parents were never there for him. He had learned through the hard way that he had to rely solely on himself. He had to become independent.

Yu frowned as he picked up the disk out from its box and inspected it. He looked back and forth between the DVD at hand and the DVD player below the television. Whispers in the back of his mind told him it was not worth it.

' _You don't need it… They probably just were pretending to care for you.'_

However, his heart told a different message. They convinced him that it was indeed important. It was part of his life.

The silver haired teenager finally decided to ignore the whispers in his mind and walked over to the DVD player to play the disk that was given to him.

The television breathed into life as the colours began to appear and reassemble to form an image. Beyond the television screen, there was man who looked to be in his sixties. He had silver hair just like Yu and had several sighs of aging all over his face – greying strains of hair, wrinkles and shrunken face.

It was the image of his father looking back at him. It turned out to be a recorded video.

The elder Narukami was depicted in a hospital room. It was dark, quiet and the smell of sickness could almost be sensed through the screen on the other side. Raidou blinked once and coughed into his arm. It sounded weak and went almost unheard by his son.

Raidou looked up to stare into the camera that was recording. He gave a cheerful smile and acted as if the coughing fit did not happen. Yu's father waved happily at the camera as he began to speak.

"Hello there, son. Your old man here…" His voice was soft and sickly. His hands were shaking uncontrollably as he brought them together. Raidou looked nervous, something that Yu did not think he would see in his entire life.

"It has been a long time since I talked to you, huh? I had so much to talk to you about… so much in so little time."

Raidou casted his lifeless silver orbs down onto the bed, sorrow and shame shown in his eyes.

"I know you too have many questions of your own. You know, ever since your mother and I sent you to Inaba to live with our extended family. …And today I am going to clear your doubts, and hopefully enlightened you on is truly going on."

Another surprise for Yu had to hear. It was not every day to have serious talk with your working parents like this, even if it was not face to face.

"Yu, I…I am sorry. The reason that I send you there to fend for yourself… is not because your mother and I hate you. We never hated you since you were born. We loved you. We cared for your well-being… even though you were born mute. That was my entirely fault, not yours"

Raidou had his hands tightening into fist. He gritted his teeth for a moment, as if to scold himself mentally. The silver haired old man let out a heavy sigh as he prepared him to confess out the truth.

"The cause of your muteness… was because of me. I passed that down to you."

Tears ran down his cheeks. Guilt could be seen all over his facial features. Yu reached out to the TV screen, wanting to console his crying father. However, the barrier between prevent him from doing so.

"Yu, I am mute. This is not even my voice. This voice… belonged to someone else, someone dear to me. This voice was given to me by my father, your grandfather, via voice box transplant."

"The voice you are hearing now is your grandfather's. Heh… I guess you could say he was also involved in you growing up into a young man."

"I worked… I worked my ass off. All because I wanted to repay the debt that I owned to my father. Before his death, I promised to continue on what he had been building up all these years – his company. However, it turned my shoulders could only bear so much weight… which is why your mother helped me along the way even though I told her not to."

"…All this time I have been neglecting you without a proper explanation. I'm sorry, I truly am."

Raidou took in a deep breath and let out a long sigh. He wiped his tears off and straightened his back. It was seemed he managed to shed the weight off his shoulders. Yu reflected back on all the times he was left alone. The answer to the question whether his parent did love was forever out of his reach.

Now that it was answered… he did not know what to think of it. His mind was left a blank.

"I…I probably should explain where I am now. As you can see, I am in a hospital. I am sick, obviously… very sick. …And I afraid I am running out of time."

Yu instantly looked back into the television screen. What did he just say?

"I wasn't feeling so well so lately. It got worse as the time went by. It got so bad I coughed out blood from my system. Your mother was worried for me but did not want you to know, just in case if it forced you stay back with us. After we sent you on the train to Inaba, your mother and I went to health check-up at the local hospital. Heh… I didn't why but I had inking that something was horribly wrong with me."

"And I was right. I was diagnosed with stage 4 Lung cancer… and they are spreading fast. They are not stopping any time soon. The doctor says it would probably advance to the final stage in the next few months. It's… too late to stop it."

"Yu… I… am left until the next few weeks, or even less. I'm sorry."

The news slapped hard at the face of Yu. His world had fallen apart. The broken pieces of him were shattered on the ground, unable to be mended back together.

His eyes wandered at the date of this video that taped at the top right of screen.

It was already been several months since this video was recorded.

"I want to know so much more about you. I want to know your all favourites… I want to know how well you are doing at school. I want to get to know about my son. …And yet, Fate says otherwise. Perhaps it's Karma… who knows?"

"Before I go, I want to tell how much I love you. Your mother and I never, ever gave you up. I never have a single thought of disowning you… because I know what is like to mute for the first 18 years of my life."

"Son… I have written down my will. If my father's vocal cord is left undamaged by the end of my days, I will let the doctors tear it out and pass it down to you. Take it as a final farewell from me and your grandfather. I am sorry it had to end it this way."

The tears of sorrow returned in his silver eyes as he hesitantly reached out to end the recording. His finger hovered out of view on the screen, his eyes stared directly back into Yu. Raidou gave one final smile to his son… and one final message.

"Live, my son. Don't waste the life I had given to you. The gods may have hated us. The world may have turned you down. But, someday you will find someone out there who will care for you just as much as I did… if not more."

"Don't give up."

With that… the video ended abruptly.

Yu took up in an instant… and ran out of the house, along with his broken mind and soul.

…

…

He ran. He ran away from the house. He ran away from the harsh reality behind him. He ran away from it.

The father that he wanted to get to know and love had died. It was too much. It was unfair.

Yu ran down the streets of Inaba, passing by the local residents and knocking into some of his friends. But he ignored them. He did not care anymore.

…

…

The crying voiceless teen finally stopped running as he was running out of breath. Yu found himself in the middle of the samegawa Flood Plain. He buried his head onto the grassy field. He punched the ground repeatedly, letting out silent screams of despair and grief.

It went on for minutes, which eventually continued to last for hours. He did not know how long he was there grieving. He just wanted out of this wretched place. He wanted to be back at the city where his father lie and wait for his inevitable death. He wanted to be by his side.

…

…

Yu knew he had ceased this act of his soon. He could not bear to face the members of the Investigation team any longer. The words from his father echoed in his mind.

'Live… Don't give up…'

Yu could barely stand back up on his feet. His next few steps were staggered and weak. He looked up… and found a familiar tree towering over him.

It was the tree where he and Naoto found the hidden card beneath it. Memories of the two of them spending time together shot up in his mind.

This was the first time he had ever felt a hint of love for the female detective.

'Someday you will find someone out there will care for you just as much as I do… if not more.'

It was then he saw footprints in the dirt. It looked smaller than his foot and seemed to suggest the person was desperately looking for something. There was a deep depression at one particular spot… the spot where Naoto stood when Yu told her he was glad she was a girl.

…And the footprints seemed fresh. The mysterious visitor was here not long ago.

Yu noticed that the footprints led to another location, the gazebo nearby. It was the place that he and Naoto used to hang out and solve the case together. There was no doubt it was hers.

As Yu followed the trail left by Naoto, he saw that he was being brought back to all the different places where they found the mysterious cards… the places where they would hold a deep conversation to understand each other… to learn about each other.

'Maybe… Maybe I had a chance after all.' He thought.

Unknowingly, instinct told him to take out his phone. He reread all the messages he had sent to her to communicate with her, from the funny lines to the ones where he would talk about himself.

Finally, a wry smile formed on his face. He stared up to the sky where his father may be looking down at him.

'I won't give up. Even if it fails, I will try over and over again, just her. It is not because I am insane. It is because I love her.'

…

…

The fading footprints finally led the mute teen to the top of the hill. It was where he found who he was looking for. Naoto was seating on the wooden bench, with the silent sounds of her crying filling the evening air. Yu was unsure if he should be here at all.

He was seeing the vulnerable side of the sleuth once again. The calm, brave and stoic Naoto was breaking down in front of him. Everyone had mask of their own, the ones where they hid their true face behind it.

Both parties had shown their true self – who they really are, not what they are.

The question is… why was one of them having trouble accepting it?

Yu had already begun to fully accept Naoto and to love her unconditionally. So why is Naoto reject it? Was she afraid? Was she denying it?

Yu did not know the answer, but he knows his own. Heck, he even 'says' it out loud. He guessed that he had to make it clear to her one last time.

The mute teen wanted to start slowly. He would have to restart from scratch from scratch if he needed to. He would never give up on her.

His mind, body and soul reached out to her and her only.

Yu typed out a message on his phone and sent to Naoto, just like the old times. The familiar beeping of her phone ringed in the air, signalling his presence.

 _My name is Yu Narukami._

 _This is my voice._

 _The voice that I want Naoto to listen to._

 _...Because I love her._

The message on the phone says…

…

…

A/N: And I am going to sleep… good night!


	3. Chapter 3: Naoto's answer

A/N: I am not dead… I am just busy with school and life at the moment. Therefore, take this long overdue second chapter as my apology.

* * *

…

Summary: Ever since he had discovered all the different sides of Naoto, Yu Narukami had fallen helplessly in love for the 'Detective Prince'. But how can he express his affection to her when he could not even say out any words from his mouth? Mute!Yu Narukami X Naoto…

…

Chapter 2: Naoto's answer

She _**ran**_. She ran down the streets of Inaba. She ran away from the Tatusuhime Shrine. She ran away from _**him**_.

Tears of an unknown emotion that she had never felt before streamed down her cheeks. Her mind was overwhelmed by the flood of questions about the incident, him and herself. Her usual composure had already been lost a long time ago.

The skies above darkened as the sun slowly disappears from view, casting a dark shadow onto the poor and confused sleuth. She was screaming internally, asking a simple question in her mind over and over and over again.

 **'Why?'**

There was no answer. All she knew about herself in that current situation was that she was coward.

…Just a plain, typical coward.

…

…

~Tatusuhime Shrine. Time: after school. Date: 22/11/2014~

The silver haired teenager was shocked at the way Naoto reacted. He had yet let the information sink into his mind fully as he was struggling to believe what just happened.

 _Her mouth was wide agape. Her grey orbs widened significantly. The Phantom Thief was long forgotten. The only thing she was trying to register was the words that Yu had just 'spoken' to the female detective._

 _The mute teen waited patiently yet anxiously for an answer… or just even a response. However, the air around them just grew a lot more silent than before._

 _Then… out of nowhere, Naoto took a step back away from Yu. Her stance indicates that she could flee at any moment. Sudden tears from her delicate grey eyes streamed down her cheeks. She slowly shook her head, as if she refused to believe that Yu said those three simple yet complex words._

" _N-No… It can't… I…" Her voice had turned into a mere murmur. The loud and confident voice of hers was nowhere to be seen._

" _No… I… You…" She continued to stutter nonsensically. She had lost control of her untamed emotions._

 _Yu was confused and alarmed at the strong and abnormal reaction of Naoto. He tried to approach her, only to create more distance between them as she backed future away from him._

" _I-I… W-We… c-can't… we can't be together…" Her hands then reached up to cover her mouth as more tears flowed from her eyes. The sounds of Naoto near silent crying could be now heard by the ears of Yu._

" _I-I am not… Y-You are not…"_

 _At the end of that unfinished sentence, the sleuth turned and ran away._

The entire incident left him at lost. He struggled to understand what was going on. His weak legs took several steps back until his back was against the pillar of the small gate of the shrine. Yu then slowly slid down the pole and sat down with his eyes staring at the ground.

' _ **Were my 'words' not clear enough?'**_

' _ **Did I just get rejected?'**_

' _ **Was I not good enough for her?'**_

' _ **Was it because I was different from her... not a normal person?'**_

' _ **Was it because I am mute?'**_

The last question stung him. It hurts. He never felt so weak and vulnerable in his life before.

He may never know the answers to those questions. All he knew… was that he was devastated.

…

…

Several days passed since that incident, classes in Yasogami High still ran like usual. However, it was never the same for two particular students. Naoto avoided any form of contact with Yu, as she was afraid she would lose control over her emotions once again at the sight of him. Unfortunately for her, it was a hard and painful task to do so.

Yu was doing all he could to salvage the relationship between the two of them, from trying to find her after school to calling and messaging through his phone. Regardless of his effort, Naoto shot him down all the same and left as soon as she could, leaving the mute teen more upset with each rejection.

The detective questioned herself over and over again.

"Why am I doing this to him? Why I can't just accept it?"

He was honest, kind and caring, brave and strong. Any girl would kill to be with such an amazing person.

However, it was always the conclusion, the same harsh truth that answers her question.

It was not because of Yu that she left him.

It was not because of his inability to speak that she left him.

It was because of herself.

The words that Yu said to her repeated in her mind over and over again, like a broken recorder. It had to stop.

But… she could not.

In the back of the mind of the silver haired teen and the blue haired sleuth, they were screaming for help.

Little they did know that help was on the way, in the form of something they did not expect.

…

...

~15/11/2014, Naoto's apartment.~

After school, Naoto ran straight towards the safety of her home. She could not face anyone at the moment, not when her emotions were messed up. She reached at the door of the lonely two-storey apartment at the end of street and locked herself in.

It felt safe under the shelter of her home, escaping the harsh reality of life outside. Living behind the walls of her world seemed to comfort at first, until she realised the damage she had caused to a dear friend. Her heart aches every time she saw the pained expression of Yu, a look full of hopelessness portrayed from his silver eyes.

Was he just a friend, an ally, a comrade? Or was he much more than that?

 _'I… don't know.'_ She thought. _'I just want this feeling to go away.'_

"Welcome back, Naoto-sama." A deep masculine voice called out to her from behind. The sudden noise cause Naoto to startle and turned around instantly, only to find the beady black eyes of her secretary starring at her.

Yakushiji gave a polite bow towards his master's granddaughter, and then he offered a helping hand to put away Naoto's school bag that was hung on her shoulder. After regaining her composure, the sleuth gave a soft murmur of gratitude before handing over her school bag.

Just when the elderly servant was about walked away to keep her belongings, he kindly asked his master, "Would you like some tea, Naoto-sama?"

It took a moment for the question to register in her mind as she was distracted. Her secretary had to repeat his question one more time before Naoto could respond. "Er… Yes, please. Bring it to the living room. I will be there to receive it."

With his question answered, Yakushiji moved to put away the school bag and prepare some lukewarm tea in the kitchen, leaving the blue-haired detective alone with her thoughts.

Once the water in the electronic kettle had been boiled and poured into small tea cups with a tea bag each, the servant carefully place them onto a small tray with a small bowl of sugar cubes and carried them to the living room.

Yakushiji placed the tray onto the small coffee table and placed the cup of tea in front of Naoto, who was sitting on a large brown sofa. Strangely, there was one extra cup of tea on the tray. The detective looked up and gave the elderly servant a confused look as he offered to add a cube of sugar into her beverage.

 _'Is that cup of tea for…?'_ She questioned herself silently in her mind as she accepted his offering.

After Naoto had settled down in her seat, the secretary of the Shirogane estate brought out a stool and sat opposite of his master. He adjusted his body position by making his back straight and his chest rose. It was then he finally took his own cup of tea from the tray.

Both of them sipped their tea quietly as the minutes gone by. Naoto was confused as to why her secretary was acting strangely. He was always kept away from informal forms of interaction with the members of the Shirogane family, such as eating together during meals and even simple things like drinking tea together. Even if Naoto's grandfather, Norio Shirogane convinced that he should not be so formal since he was part of the family, Yakushiji still stubbornly refused to do so.

However, that did not seem like the case right now. Naoto was unsure how to react the abnormal behaviour of her trusted servant. She stole several glances at him while she slowly drank her tea. The elder secretary was silent, as if waiting for his master to make the initiative to ask.

After a several more minutes had passed, the inevitable happened.

"Is there something you want to talk about, Yakushiji-san?" Naoto asked curiously.

"You… I want about to talk about you, Naoto-sama." Yakushiji replied as he carefully and gentle placed his cup of tea onto the coffee table.

Naoto was puzzled as she received an unexpected reply. 'He wants to talk about me?' She thought.

"What about it?" She continued to question the long-time servant of her family. There was slight tone of annoyance and anger was in her voice. Her glance turned into a steely glare, putting her fullest attention on him and awaiting restlessly for the topic of this conversation to present itself. She never intended to have any sought of interaction today… she was wanted to be alone.

Yakushiji placed his hands on his lap and looked up to face the unholy piecing glare that his master gave him. An aura of unshaking willpower and bravery could felt in the presence of this man. Anyone could see that he was determined to press this matter, regardless of the consequences.

"Your grandfather, Norio-sama was the mastermind of the 'Phantom Thief' case." It was a simple statement, yet it froze the mind of the female detective. The culprit of the case that she and Yu had been cracking was someone completely unexpected.

"My… grandpa was behind all of this?" Naoto was speechless. Why did he go through all the trouble to do such a childish prank on her?

Seeing her shocked reaction, the secretary took as a cue to continue on. "Ever since you took on the mysterious murder case of Inaba, Norio-sama and I were worried for you." He sighed heavily, as he recalled the devastated look on his master's face. "We were not only worried for your health and safety. We were worried about you as a person, Naoto-sama."

"Why? I was doing fine all by myself." Naoto argued as her grip on the handle of the tea cup tightened. 'Why…? Why can't he trust me?'

"I would have finished the case just like they asked and come back home like always! Why do you need to worry at all? I am fine!" Her voice was raised considerably as it was filled with anger and hatred. She was starting to lose control of her temper.

"Why did you two have to pull this prank on me? I have already enough burdens on my shoulder to deal with! Why you can't trust me?" She shouted furiously as she stood up from her seat and towered over her servant.

However, Yakushiji was unfazed by her outrage. He remained calm and bravely challenged the sharp piecing glare of hate and fury from Naoto.

It seemed that the clues that her grandfather had left behind were not enough. This was it… she needed to know. She needed to wake up.

"It was because you are not who you used to be!" Yakushiji raised his voice with a stern tone. He made his point across with his own icy cold glare. He was tired of pretending that everything was fine. He was tired waiting for things to change. He was tired of looking into the worried and pained eyes of Norio Shirogane. He had enough watching the woman who he had took care of since she was small destroy herself.

He was sick and tired of all of it.

The living room was deadly silent. Disbelief could be clearly seen in the grey orbs of Naoto. The harsh, painful truth had slapped her across her face. Finally, she had woken her up from the lies she had buried herself in.

The elderly secretary sighed heavily as he felt a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He had finally admitted it after all these years. He slowly took off his sunglasses and placed it beside his teacup. Naoto's caretaker looked up and stared at her with his own beady black eyes.

"Ever since the news of your parent's death, you have changed completely." The old man said sadly. "You were not doing your job as a detective because it was your passion, your pride and joy. You were doing it for the sake of proving to the world that you were capable. You were not our Naoto anymore. To me and your grandfather, she was gone."

Tears started to swell up in Naoto's eyes. She hung her head in utter shamefulness. She knew it… She knew that the painful reality all along. However, at that time, she could not accept it.

"Your grandfather asked me time and time again… 'Where is she? Where is the Naoto that we all know and love?'" Yakushiji muttered sorrowfully as he tried to bring sense into the girl in front of him. Naoto looked up in surprise once again. She had never heard such tales of vulnerability of her grandfather before.

The elderly servant searched his pockets and produced a card. It was the same card that Naoto received when she was on the pursuit of the culprit of her stolen belonging. He held it up and revealed the purpose of these puzzles.

"Your grandfather wanted to bring you back to the past, to regain the joy of becoming a detective, regardless of age or gender. This is why he set up this case. This is why I agreed to disguise myself as the 'Phantom Thief'. This is why we have always wanted to tell you… You are not alone."

The crying girl looked up into the warm, gentle eyes of the man who took care of her like a father would to his child. She rushed into his arms and embraced Yakushiji. She apologised, apologised and apologised once again. However, the elderly man who was her father figure had already forgiven her.

Inside the cold, mature exterior of Naoto was a fragile and lost child, desperate for affection and comfort from anyone. Thankfully, she no longer needed to lie to herself anymore.

After discovering the truth and gaining forgiveness for her mistakes, Naoto calmed herself down. She smiled gratefully towards Yakushiji, who felt embarrassed that he went of his comfort zone as a lowly servant of the Shirogane family. However, his efforts were not in vain and the result was a success.

Yakushiji then gave the card to Naoto. She looked at him questioningly as she hesitantly took it from his hands. The secretary gave a thin smile as he explained. "This is your final challenge. Go on… end this case that your grandfather and I had set for you."

Grey orbs scanned the contents of the card, analysing the words that were written on it.

It reads:

 **I did what you can't stand to do at a place you'd be fond of.**

 **But underneath, rather than inside.**

Naoto looked back to see Yakushiji looking at her with hopeful eyes. This is it. This was the end of this case, and the new beginning of her life.

She knew what she must do.

…

"Yakushiji-san, I have a question to ask you."

"What is it, Naoto-sama?"

"Why… Why did you involve Yu-senpai in this case?"

"It is because… he seems truth-worthy, Naoto-sama. You need someone like him to keep you straight."

"I… I am glad. I am glad you picked out of everyone else."

"May I know why, Naoto-sama?"

"He is part of the reason why I learned to accept myself. A very important part of it…"

…

 **I did what you can't stand to do at a place you'd be fond of.**

 **But underneath, rather than inside.**

Naoto reread the phrase several times in her mind. The words were vague and unclear. It was too long of a list of endless possibilities to be narrowed down into single clue. Many facts and precious memories of her were either forgotten or too hazy to recall the important information locked inside of her mind.

She ended up making a random choice from the long list and went with it.

She searched, looked and searched everywhere. From smallest cracks to the largest holes, the detective never missed any spot in Inaba.

However, Naoto could not seem to find it.

Instead, she found herself back in familiar places. From under the shelter of the gazebo, the dining table of the June restaurant, the school shoe racks, the area under the tree near the river to…

…The area the near the life of the Junes supermarket, where they first 'talked' to each other.

Her thoughts slowly started to turn towards the silver haired teen instead of the case at hand. Memories of them hanging out together, talking about each other's past surfaced from the depths of her mind.

She smiled amusingly at some of the ridiculous and quirky moments with him. She appreciated the advices that he gave her when she was in trouble.

She was felt honoured… to be acknowledged by her leader and gaining enough trust for him to share his own childhood with her.

Yu managed to bring her back up on her feet at the most critical moments of her life, ranging from her shadow to persevering through to solve the case. He helped her to be alive again, like a sunflower rising at the touch of the light of the sun.

Now, Naoto was alone… and helpless. She singlehandedly ruined their relationship.

What was the reason? Was it a complex and intricate reason? One that is difficult to understand?

No… It turned out to be just a simple fact.

She was afraid… she was afraid to lose such a kind and warm-hearted person like him because of her.

Naoto always argued that she had no time for romance, but the truth is she was fearful that if she was too close to certain person, one that she cared about, she would lose him just like her beloved parents.

'I am not perfect.' The sleuth always told herself, 'No one would ever come to love such an immature and shameful brat like me'

The constant lies buried her inside her head, preventing her to see the light that was the truth. The truth was… someone out there loved her.

And… she loved him so too.

Her heart beats rapidly the sight of his silent yet expressive 'words'. Her mind and body enjoyed the warm affection and attention the mute man had given her. Her once lifeless soul was revived as soon as she experienced joy and happiness around him.

Now, Naoto missed seeing the messages that was used to communicate with him. She missed being teased and 'mocked' at when he was with her. She missed admiring the looks on his face that was full of emotion whenever he laughed.

Yes, the Fortuna is in love with the Fool.

It was a shame that she realised it a little too late…

…Or was it just in time?

Suddenly, something snapped inside her head. The detective reached into her pocket in her jeans and took her phone. She flipped it open and searched though her history of her message conversation.

There it is… the information she needed was right here.

' **Playing in high places, huh? That sounds a wonderful childhood you have.'**

' **Throwing things away feels like throwing a part of you, don't you think?'**

This was it! This was what she needed to crack the final puzzle! All she needed now was to strike off the most unlikely places from the list and narrow it down to one location!

Naoto was delighted and glad that she had saved the countless messages that Yu had sent her. It definitely saved her precious time wandering around aimlessly.

However, the flare inside of her soon died down… as she continued to read through the other messages that the mute teen had sent her.

' **Is it like those cliché movies where the challenger sends you a challenge through a mail?'**

' **No… Your problems are mine too. You are not a burden.'**

'… **Hahaha! Why are you so shy?'**

' **Let's solve this case together, partner!'**

' **I demand you to join this Beauty Pageant! I mean seriously, you have to…'**

' **A goat…? Nah, just kidding! The riddle means it is in a mailbox.'**

' **I'm sorry… to hear about your stolen childhood. I wished it could be different.'**

These messages… or rather his 'voice' used to communicate with Naoto tugged her heartstrings. It began to affect her mentally and physically as the tears of shame and regret streamed down her cheeks. Naoto had caused so much pain and suffering upon Yu, in return of the kindness and concern that was given her.

Her world seemed to crash down upon her as she laid her grey orbs on the message that stood out from the others.

' **I am glad you are a girl.'**

He accepted her for who she is, not what she is.

The detective knew she had to restore the relationship and trust between them as soon as she solved the case. She had to. Naoto picked herself up and tried her best to regain her composure.

It was now or never.

Based on the information she had gathered, there was only one place in Inaba that fit the bill.

…

…

Night falls as the flaming ball of light descended beyond the horizon. The stars emerged from the cover of the light of the bright sky and into the darkness of the evening. Naoto had to navigate around the hill using the light emitted from her phone. She searched, and searched and searched.

This time her efforts were not fruitless. She did not come back emptyhanded.

There inside the trash bin near the bench was a small, worn out leather book.

It was just small enough to fit into the pocket of any pants or jeans. With just a single look at the mysterious object, Naoto knew what it was.

' _This is it…_ ' She thought silently. _'This is the last of the seven tools…'_

It was the 'Detective's Pocketbook', written by Naoto herself when she was young.

The female detective picked it up from the trash bin and flipped through the pages of it. It was filled with drawings of a child, handwritten deductions and conclusion of each case that she solved and small notes on questions that were not answered clearly.

Everything she had forgotten about was packed inside the little book. The objective of Norio Shirogane was abundantly clear – He wanted to remind his granddaughter of her childhood before her parents died… before she changed to a different person.

Naoto's hands clutched tightly onto the leather cover of the book. It was painful yet meaningful at the same time. All of this time to solve a case that was considered as a 'prank' was to wake her up. She sighed heavily and scolded herself time and time again for how foolish she was.

As she was about to close the book, a note slipped out of the pages and fell to the grass that Naoto was standing on.

Curiously, the sleuth put aside the book that contained her forgotten memories and picked up the note. The words on the note read:

 **Please flip to page 10 of the 'Detective Pocketbook'**

 **~Norio Shirogane~**

Her mind was filled with questions but no answers while she followed as instructed by the small note. She was surprised to see a diary entry written by the elder Shirogane on the 10th page of the book.

It reads:

 **Dear Naoto,**

 **I know that this may come as a surprise…**

 **I am the mastermind of this 'waste of time' case? Who in the right mind would ever thought about it?**

 **However, to me, it was worth it. If I was told that I am able to bring back the old Naoto, the one who I dearly loved and missed, I would do anything in return… even if it costs my own life.**

 **All for this childish game that you had to play, was I selfish?**

 **Maybe… Maybe I am indeed selfish.**

 **But… one can argue that I am also selfless.**

 **Naoto, please come back. I missed the smile that you gave me when we solved cases together. I missed the joyful and loving tone you used when you call me 'Grandpa'. I missed everything. Yaskushiji and I are waiting for you to come back home. We are worried for you every, single, day.**

 **Your parents, Raidou Shirogane and Kirino Shirogane are always watching you from above. They are not truly dead. They are still within you.**

 **You are not alone.**

 **What you were missing in your life was Love. It was something that Yakushiji and I could not always provide when you were young and now today. This is why… you need someone to take care of you too.**

 **I am afraid I am becoming too old to be by your side for long. You will need to find someone who would love you the same way as I do, if not more.**

 **But first, you need to accept who you are. I shall leave off with one final question.**

 **Naoto, who are you?**

 **Love,**

 **Your grandfather, Norio.**

Naoto fell silent. She dared not utter a single word from her mouth. The question that was waiting to be answered for years was yet to be acknowledged… until now.

'I want reason for me to stay…'

She heard the high pitched, childish voice of her shadow echoed in her mind.

It was not the case that made her want to stay in Inaba.

It was Yakushiji-san…

Her grandfather…

Her friends…

Her passion for her job as a detective…

Yu Narukami…

It was because of them, she had found a reason to stay. She needed not to fear as she was never alone. The truth was right in front of her, yet it took this long to realise as she was blinded by the lies she had created herself.

 _'I am a woman… and a detective. …One that is seeking the truth with the people who she trusted with all her heart and soul.'_

Naoto felt her heart beat once again, like a fire being ignited in middle of the dark woods. Tears dared to spilled out of her eyes for the untempt time. She had been an emotional wreck recently, wasn't she?

Naoto was not alone, especially because of that one man who loved her unconditionally.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, her phone let out a loud beeping sound. The female detective was shocked by the sudden noise but she quickly regained her composure and frantically searched for her phone. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw what it was about.

It was a message… by none other than Yu.

Huh… Speak of the Devil.

It reads:

… **Naoto? Is that you?**

 **Are you crying?**

Naoto turned around and found her grey orbs were locked onto the silver eyes of the mute teen. She was horrified to see the drastic condition of the ever vigilant and bright-looking leader.

His once neat silver hair was now a mess, losing its shape and the distinct view of its unique colour. He had large black spots under his eyes, accompanied by his large eye bags. His clothes were missing its few buttons and were also in a mess, with wrinkles and lines clearly visible on it. His expressive silver eyes were now dead and had lost its flare, it seemed sadder than ever before.

Instead of worrying about his own health, Yu was concerned of the condition of Naoto. It was been like that for many days.

The female detective recalled of all the rejected attempts to patch up the relationship between them, the hidden disappointed and sorrowful emotion that was shown through his facial features.

All this time, Yu was worried for her.

Even now, he was concerned whether she was feeling well while his body was in a bad condition.

Yu approached her, closing the distance between them. He hesitantly reached out to wipe out her tears from her face, only to stop inch away from its target. The mute teen gritted his teeth, as if he was scolding himself that he was not supposed to do this to Naoto.

Yu stared into her eyes, searching for something, any indication that it was right to stand beside her right now. His silver eyes then wandered around, and found the card and the pocketbook by her side.

His fist then clutched tightly, as if he was holding something back within him. Was it anger? Was it disappointment? Or was it sadness? Naoto could not identify it.

But she did not bother. There was one thing she needed to do right now.

In a blink of an eye, the short sleuth buried her face into Yu's chest and wrapped her arms around his bulky body.

"Why?!" She screamed in frustration into the chest of the mute teen. "Why are you always like this?!"

The shocked teen was motionless, unsure what to do. Even when her voice of muffled by the fabric of her clothes, he could hear what she was saying. Yu was even more surprised when he heard the near silent sounds of her crying.

"You are always like this… It's… not fair. I treated you horribly and yet you always come back, giving me things that I don't deserve. Why…?"

In truth, she already knew the answer. She had seen it. She had felt it. She had 'heard' it. But she wanted to 'hear' it again… just one more time… to confirm it was indeed the reason why Yu was always there for her.

Yu finally analysed what was going on. He had a inking of what may be the cause. So, he had to make the conclusion.

Yu returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around her slender body and rested his chin on her head. He gave the most affectionate hug that he could afford, hoping that he was able to send the message across.

…And it did.

The crying stopped. The coldness of her skin was replaced with warmth. The arms around his body tightened their grip on him.

Yu swore Naoto could his heart beating rapidly, the music that was meant for her to hear and only her.

Naoto then signalled to let go as she loosed her grip and back away. Gone with the tears and replaced by the confident and bright look on her face. She smiled… she smiled warmly for the first time in this day.

For a moment, Yu gave her a puzzled look. However, it did not last as he returned the smile with one of his own.

This was it… This was her chance.

The female detective looked deeply into his bright silver eyes for one last moment, and then she took out her phone and typed numerous buttons on it. Yu watched curiously as Naoto typed out a message to send to him.

Soon, it was completed. All she needed was to press the 'send' button on her phone. Her thumb hovered over that particular button, while her thought wandered over the time that she spent with Yu.

 _'When I am with you, I am scared…'_

 _'..Afraid that the instant I admit the truth, everything will spill out.'_

 _'But… I had to say it. These are my true feelings for you, Yu-senpai.'_

Naoto finally press the button and waited for his response. Yu's phone let out a loud beeping sound. The silverette looked at her questioningly, and was also hesitant about looking into his phone.

However, Naoto gave him a gentle smile, with a bright rosy blush on her cheeks. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to read the message.

That gave him the courage to just man up and open the damn phone.

Yu flipped opened his phone… and saw that message. His eyes widened considerably and his mouth was agape. His silver eyes darted back and forth between the screen of his phone and Naoto. His mind was blown to bit as he almost could not believe what he was 'hearing'.

'So it was true… I was just hallucinating.' He thought.

The silver haired teen looked at Naoto with a newfound emotion – Love.

He grinned happily and typed a reply that was send to her immediately.

The familiar beeping sound was heard and the female detective looked down at her screen to read the message. Her face blushed even and on instinct, pulled down her large blue cap in attempts to cover her face.

"T-Thank you…" She muttered out shyly as she avoid eye contact with the silver haired teen.

'For accepting me…'

Naoto yelped in surprise as Yu suddenly reached out and grabbed her small hand to pull her towards him. Naoto's red face soon found back on the chest of Yu and his arms wrapped around her once again.

Their phones slipped out of their hands and fell onto the soft grass. It lay forgotten as the young couple enjoyed their moment with each other.

The mute man leaned down towards her ears and 'whispered'. The sleuth knew what the words he had 'spoken' were, even without looking at his lips.

She knew that from now on, there was always someone who would be by her side forever.

The Fortune had found her Fool.

…

…

The message on the phone reads:

Naoto: **I love you… I'm sorry I did not tell you sooner.**

Yu: **I love you too. Don't run away from me next time I say it, no?**

…

 **The End?**

…

A/N: Huh, this turned out to be focused more on Naoto than I would have liked.

As you can see, I intended to put Yu's side of the story of overcoming his grief and sorrow with the help of his uncle, Dojima and his father.

This turned out to be impossible as it would TOO long for any reader to pay attention to. Seriously, it would be approx. 10000 words if I add his section in.

My fingers, eyes and mind would break before that. Thus, I would make a 'bonus' chapter focusing more on Yu and add in the social link rank 10 between Naoto and him.

Anyways, Do read, review and favourite! Follow me and wait for looong days for a chapter to come out.

Seriously, School life is burden on me. Cut me some slack and cheer me up, will ya?


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